Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 19
Madhya19.107
TEXT 107
premāveśe prabhu tāṅre kailā āliṅgana
prema matta hañā teṅho karena nartana
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe—in ecstatic love; prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre—him; kailā—did; āliṅgana—embracing; prema matta hañā—being overwhelmed by ecstatic love; teṅho—he; karena nartana—began to dance.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Raghupati Upādhyāya in ecstatic love. Raghupati Upādhyāya also was overwhelmed by love, and he began to dance.
Madhya19.108
TEXT 108
dekhi’ vallabha-bhaṭṭa mane camatkāra haila
dui putra āni’ prabhura caraṇe pāḍila
SYNONYMS
dekhi’—seeing; vallabha-bhaṭṭa—of Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya; mane—in the mind; camatkāra haila—there was astonishment; dui putra āni’-bringing his two sons; prabhura caraṇe pāḍila—made them lie at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya was struck with wonder to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghupati Upādhyāya dance. He even brought forward his two sons and made them fall down at the Lord’s lotus feet.
PURPORT
The two sons of Vallabhācārya were Gopīnātha and Viṭhṭhaleśvara. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited Prayāga in the year 1434 or 1435 Śakābda Era, Viṭhṭhaleśvara was not yet born. In this regard, one should see Madhya-līlā 18.47.
Madhya19.109
TEXT 109
prabhu dekhibāre grāmera saba-loka āila
prabhu-daraśane sabe ’kṛṣṇa-bhakta’ ha-ila
SYNONYMS
prabhu dekhibāre—to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; grāmera—of the village; saba-loka—all the people; āila—came; prabhu-daraśane—simply by seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sabe—all of them; kṛṣṇa-bhakta ha-ila—became devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
Upon hearing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had arrived, all the villagers went to see Him. Simply by seeing Him, they all became devotees of Kṛṣṇa.
Madhya19.110
TEXT 110
brāhmaṇa-sakala karena prabhura nimantraṇa
vallabha-bhaṭṭa tāṅ-sabāre karena nivāraṇa
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇa-sakala—all the brāhmaṇas of that village; karena—make; prabhura—of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nimantraṇa—invitations; vallabha-bhaṭṭa—Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya; tāṅ-sabāre—all of them; karena—does; nivāraṇa—forbidding.
TRANSLATION
All the brāhmaṇas of the village were anxious to extend invitations to the Lord, but Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya forbade them to do so.
Madhya19.111
TEXT 111
’premonmāde paḍe gosāñi madhya-yamunāte
prayāge cālāiba, ihāṅ nā diba rahite
SYNONYMS
prema-unmāde—in the madness of ecstatic love; paḍe—fell down; gosāñi—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; madhya-yamunāte—in the River Yamunā; prayāge cālāiba—I shall again take Him to Prayāga; ihāṅ—here; nā—not; diba—I shall allow Him; rahite—to stay.
TRANSLATION
Vallabha Bhaṭṭa then decided not to keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Āḍāila because the Lord had jumped into the River Yamunā in ecstatic love. Therefore he decided to bring Him to Prayāga.
Madhya19.112
TEXT 112
yāṅra icchā, prayāge yāñā karibe nimantraṇa’
eta bali’ prabhu lañā karila gamana
SYNONYMS
yāṅra—of whom; icchā—there is a desire; prayāge yāñā—going to Prayāga; karibe—may do; nimantraṇa—invitations; eta bali’-saying this; prabhu lañā—with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karila gamana—he departed for Prayāga.
TRANSLATION
Vallabha Bhaṭṭa said, “If anyone likes, he can go to Prayāga and extend invitations to the Lord.” In this way he took the Lord with him and departed for Prayāga.
Madhya19.113
TEXT 113
gaṅgā-pathe mahāprabhure naukāte vasāñā
prayāge āilā bhaṭṭa gosāñire lañā
SYNONYMS
gaṅgā-pathe—on the Ganges; mahāprabhure—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; naukāte vasāñā—making to sit down on the boat; prayāge āilā—went to Prayāga; bhaṭṭa—Vallabha Bhaṭṭa; gosāñire lañā—with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya avoided the River Yamunā. Putting the Lord on a boat in the River Ganges, he went with Him to Prayāga.
Madhya19.114
TEXT 114
loka-bhiḍa-bhaye prabhu ’daśāśvamedhe’ yāñā
rūpa-gosāñire śikṣā karā’na śakti sañcāriyā
SYNONYMS
loka-bhiḍa-bhaye—from fear of the great crowd of people; prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; daśāśvamedhe—to Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa; yāñā—going; rūpa-gosāñire—Rūpa Gosvāmī; śikṣā karā’na—teaches; śakti sañcāriyā—endowing him with potency.
TRANSLATION
Due to the great crowds in Prayāga, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to a place called Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa. It was there that the Lord instructed Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and empowered him in the philosophy of devotional service.
PURPORT
Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. The Supreme Lord has multi-potencies, which the Lord bestows on His fortunate devotees. The Lord has a special potency by which He spreads the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is also explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 7.11). Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana: “One cannot spread the holy name of Kṛṣṇa without being specifically empowered by Lord Kṛṣṇa.” A devotee who receives this power from the Lord must be considered very fortunate. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading to enlighten people about their real position, their original relationship with Kṛṣṇa. One requires Kṛṣṇa’s special power in order to be able to do this. People forget their relationship with Kṛṣṇa and work under the spell of māyā life after life, transmigrating from one body to another. This is the process of material existence. The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally descends to teach people that their position in the material world is a mistaken one. The Lord again comes as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to induce people to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord also empowers a special devotee to teach people their constitutional position.
Madhya19.115
TEXT 115
kṛṣṇatattva-bhaktitattva-rasatattva-prānta
saba śikhāila prabhu bhāgavata-siddhānta
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-tattva—of the truth about Lord Kṛṣṇa; bhakti-tattva—of the truth about devotional service; rasa-tattva—of the truth about transcendental mellows; prānta—the ultimate limit; saba—all; śikhāila—taught; prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhāgavata-siddhānta—the conclusions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī the ultimate limit of the truth about Lord Kṛṣṇa, the truth about devotional service and the truth about transcendental mellows, consummating in conjugal love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Finally He told Rūpa Gosvāmī about the ultimate conclusions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Madhya19.116
TEXT 116
rāmānanda-pāśe yata siddhānta śunilā
rūpe kṛpā kari’ tāhā saba sañcārilā
SYNONYMS
rāmānanda-pāśe—from Rāmānanda Rāya; yata—all; siddhānta—the ultimate conclusions; śunilā—he heard; rūpe—unto Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī; kṛpā kari’-showing His causeless mercy; tāhā saba—all those; sañcārilā—infused.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught Rūpa Gosvāmī all the conclusions He had heard from Rāmānanda Rāya and duly empowered him so that he could understand them.
Madhya19.117
TEXT 117
śrī-rūpa-hṛdaye prabhu śakti sañcārilā
sarva-tattva-nirūpaṇe ’pravīṇa’ karilā
SYNONYMS
śrī-rūpa-hṛdaye—in the heart of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; prabhu—Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śakti sañcārilā—infused spiritual strength; sarva-tattva—all conclusive truths; nirūpaṇe—in ascertaining; pravīṇa karilā—made him fully experienced.
TRANSLATION
By entering the heart of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu empowered him to ascertain properly the conclusions of all truths. He made him an experienced devotee whose decisions correctly agreed with the verdicts of the disciplic succession. Thus Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī was personally empowered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
PURPORT
The principles of devotional service are only apparently under the jurisdiction of material activity. To be rightly guided, one must be personally guided by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This was the case with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and other ācāryas.
Madhya19.118
TEXT 118
śivānanda-senera putra ’kavi-karṇapūra’
’rūpera milana’ sva-granthe likhiyāchena pracura
SYNONYMS
śivānanda-senera—of Śivānanda Sena; putra—the son; kavi-karṇapūra—Kavi-karṇapūra; rūpera milana—meeting Rūpa Gosvāmī; sva-granthe—in his own book; likhiyāchena pracura—has written profusely.
TRANSLATION
In his book Caitanya-candrodaya, Kavi-karṇapūra, the son of Śivānanda Sena, has elaborately described the meeting between Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Madhya19.119
TEXT 119
kālena vṛndāvana-keli-vārtā
lupteti tāṁ khyāpayituṁ viśiṣya
kṛpāmṛtenābhiṣiṣeca devas
tatraiva rūpaṁ ca sanātanaṁ ca
SYNONYMS
kālena—in the course of time; vṛndāvana-keli-vārtā—topics concerning the transcendental mellows of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana; luptā—almost lost; iti—thus; tām—all those; khyāpayitum—to enunciate; viśiṣya—making specific; kṛpā-amṛtena—with the nectar of mercy; abhiṣiṣeca—sprinkled; devaḥ—the Lord; tatra—there; eva—indeed; rūpam—Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; ca—and; sanātanam—Sanātana Gosvāmī; ca—as well as.
TRANSLATION
"In the course of time, the transcendental news of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Vṛndāvana was almost lost. To enunciate explicitly those transcendental pastimes, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at Prayāga, empowered Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī with the nectar of His mercy to carry out this work in Vṛndāvana.
PURPORT
This verse and the following two verses are from Act Nine (38,29,30) of Caitanya-candrodaya by Śrī Kavi-karṇapūra.
Madhya19.120
TEXT 120
yaḥ prāg eva priya-guṇa-gaṇair gāḍha-baddho ’pi mukto
gehādhyāsād rasa iva paro mūrta evāpy amūrtaḥ
premālāpair dṛḍhatara-pariṣvaṅga-raṅgaiḥ prayāge
taṁ śrī-rūpaṁ samam anupamenānujagrāha devaḥ
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—who; prāk eva—previously; priya-guṇa-gaṇaiḥ—by the desirable transcendental qualities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; gāḍha—deeply; baddhaḥ—attached; api—although; muktaḥ—liberated; geha-adhyāsāt—from the bondage of family life; rasaḥ—transcendental mellows; iva—like; paraḥ—transcendental; mūrtaḥ—personal form; eva—certainly; api—although; amūrtaḥ—without having a material form; prema-ālāpaiḥ—by discussions of transcendental love of the Supreme; dṛḍhatara—firm; pariṣvaṅga—of embracing; raṅgaiḥ—with great pleasure; prayāge—at Prayāga; tam—to him; śrī-rūpam—Rūpa Gosvāmī; samam—with; anupamena—Anupama; anujagrāha—showed mercy; devaḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
"From the very beginning, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was deeply attracted by the transcendental qualities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus he was permanently relieved from family life. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and his younger brother, Vallabha, were blessed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Although the Lord was transcendentally situated in His transcendental eternal form, at Prayāga He told Rūpa Gosvāmī about transcendental ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. The Lord then embraced him very fondly and bestowed all His mercy upon him.
Madhya19.121
TEXT 121
priya-svarūpe dayita-svarūpe
prema-svarūpe sahajābhirūpe
nijānurūpe prabhur eka-rūpe
tatāna rūpe svavilāsa-rūpe
SYNONYMS
priya-svarūpe—unto the person whose dear friend was Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī; dayita-svarūpe—who was very dear to Him (Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu); prema-svarūpe—unto the replica of His personal ecstatic love; sahaja-abhirūpe—who was naturally very beautiful; nija-anurūpe—who exactly followed the principles of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prabhuḥ—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; eka-rūpe—to the one; tatāna—explained; rūpe—unto Rūpa Gosvāmī; sva-vilāsa-rūpe—who describes the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
“Indeed, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, whose dear friend was Svarūpa Dāmodara, was the exact replica of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he was very, very dear to the Lord. Being the embodiment of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love, Rūpa Gosvāmī was naturally very beautiful. He very carefully followed the principles enunciated by the Lord, and he was a competent person to explain properly the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu expanded His mercy to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī just so he could render service by writing transcendental literatures.”
Madhya19.122
TEXT 122
ei-mata karṇapūra likhe sthāne-sthāne
prabhu kṛpā kailā yaiche rūpa-sanātane
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; karṇa-pūra—the poet known as Kavi-karṇapūra; likhe—writes; sthāne-sthāne—in various places; prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kṛpā kailā—showed His mercy; yaiche—how; rūpa-sanātane—to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.
TRANSLATION
The characteristics of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī have thus been described in various places by the poet Kavi-karṇapūra. An account has also been given of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestowed His causeless mercy upon Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.
Madhya19.123
TEXT 123
mahāprabhura yata baḍa baḍa bhakta mātra
rūpa-sanātana--sabāra kṛpā-gaurava-pātra
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhura—of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; yata—all; baḍa baḍa—great, great; bhakta—devotees; mātra—up to; rūpa-sanātana—Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī; sabāra—of everyone; kṛpā—of the mercy; gaurava—and honor; pātra—objects.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were the objects of love and honor for all the great stalwart devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Madhya19.124
TEXT 124
keha yadi deśe yāya dekhi’ vṛndāvana
tāṅre praśna karena prabhura pāriṣada-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
keha—someone; yadi—if; deśe—to his country; yāya—goes; dekhi’-after seeing; vṛndāvana—Vṛndāvana; tāṅre—unto that person; praśna karena—put questions; prabhura—of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; pāriṣada-gaṇa—personal associates.
TRANSLATION
If someone returned to his country after seeing Vṛndāvana, the associates of the Lord would ask him questions.
Madhya19.125
TEXT 125
"kaha,--tāhāṅ kaiche rahe rūpa-sanātana?
kaiche rahe, kaiche vairāgya, kaiche bhojana?
SYNONYMS
kaha—please describe; tāhāṅ—there; kaiche—how; rahe—remain; rūpa—Rūpa Gosvāmī; sanātana—Sanātana Gosvāmī; kaiche rahe—how do they live; kaiche vairāgya—how do they practice renunciation; kaiche bhojana—how do they eat.
TRANSLATION
They would ask those returning from Vṛndāvana, “How are Rūpa and Sanātana doing in Vṛndāvana? What are their activities in the renounced order? How do they manage to eat?” These were the questions asked.
Madhya19.126
TEXT 126
kaiche aṣṭa-prahara karena śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana?"
tabe praśaṁsiyā kahe sei bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
kaiche—how; aṣṭa-prahara—twenty-four hours; karena—do; śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana—worshiping of Lord Kṛṣṇa; tabe—at that time; praśaṁsiyā—praising; kahe—described; sei bhakta-gaṇa—those devotees.
TRANSLATION
The Lord’s associates would also ask, “How is it that Rūpa and Sanātana are engaging in devotional service twenty-four hours daily?” At that time the person who had returned from Vṛndāvana would praise Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī.
Madhya19.127
TEXT 127
"aniketa duṅhe, vane yata vṛkṣa-gaṇa
eka eka vṛkṣera tale eka eka rātri śayana
SYNONYMS
aniketa—without a residence; duṅhe—both of them; vane—in the forest; yata vṛkṣa-gaṇa—as many trees as there are; eka eka vṛkṣera—of one tree after another; tale—at the base; eka eka rātri—one night after another; śayana—lying down to sleep.
TRANSLATION
"The brothers actually have no fixed residence. They reside beneath trees-one night under one tree and the next night under another.
Madhya19.128
TEXT 128
’vipra-gṛhe’ sthūla-bhikṣā, kāhāṅ mādhu-karī
śuṣka ruṭī-cānā civāya bhoga parihari’
SYNONYMS
vipra-gṛhe—in the house of a brāhmaṇa; sthūla-bhikṣā—full meals; kāhāṅ—sometimes; mādhu-karī—begging little by little like honeybees; śuṣka—dry; ruṭī—bread; cānā—chick-peas; civāya—chew; bhoga parihari’-giving up all kinds of material enjoyment.
TRANSLATION
"Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī beg a little food from the houses of brāhmaṇas. Giving up all kinds of material enjoyment, they only take some dry bread and fried chick-peas.
Madhya19.129
TEXT 129
karoṅyā-mātra hāte, kāṅthā chiṅḍā, bahirvāsa
kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-nāma, nartana-ullāsa
SYNONYMS
karoṅyā—the waterpot of a sannyāsī; mātra—only; hāte—in the hand; kāṅthā chiṅḍā—torn quilt; bahirvāsa—outer garments; kṛṣṇa-kathā—discussion of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes; kṛṣṇa-nāma—chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nartana-ullāsa—dancing in jubilation.
TRANSLATION
"They carry only waterpots, and they wear torn quilts. They always chant the holy names of Kṛṣṇa and discuss His pastimes. In great jubilation, they also dance.
Madhya19.130
TEXT 130
aṣṭa-prahara kṛṣṇa-bhajana, cāri daṇḍa śayane
nāma-saṅkīrtane seha nahe kona dine
SYNONYMS
aṣṭa-prahara—twenty-four hours; kṛṣṇa-bhajana—worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa; cāri daṇḍa—four daṇḍas (one daṇḍa equals twenty-four minutes); śayane—for sleeping; nāma-saṅkīrtane—because of chanting the holy name of the Lord; seha—that much time; nahe—not; kona dine—some days.
TRANSLATION
"They engage almost twenty-four hours daily in rendering service to the Lord. They usually sleep only an hour and a half, and some days, when they continuously chant the Lord’s holy name, they do not sleep at all.
Madhya19.131
TEXT 131
kabhu bhakti-rasa-śāstra karaye likhana
caitanya-kathā śune, kare caitanya-cintana"
SYNONYMS
kabhu—sometimes; bhakti-rasa-śāstra—transcendental literature about the mellows of devotional service; karaye likhana—write; caitanya-kathā—talks about the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śune—they hear; kare—do; caitanya-cintana—thinking of Lord Caitanya.
TRANSLATION
“Sometimes they write transcendental literatures about devotional service, and sometimes they hear about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and spend their time thinking about the Lord.”
Madhya19.132
TEXT 132
ei-kathā śuni’ mahāntera mahā-sukha haya
caitanyera kṛpā yāṅhe, tāṅhe ki vismaya?
SYNONYMS
ei-kathā śuni’—hearing this news; mahāntera—of all the devotees; mahā-sukha—great pleasure; haya—was; caitanyera—of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kṛpā—mercy; yāṅhe—on whom; tāṅhe—in him; ki—what; vismaya—wonderful.
TRANSLATION
When the personal associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would hear of the activities of Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmīs, they would say, “What is wonderful for a person who has been granted the Lord’s mercy?”
PURPORT
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī had no fixed residence. They stayed beneath a tree for one day only and wrote huge volumes of transcendental literature. They not only wrote books but chanted, danced, discussed Kṛṣṇa and remembered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes. Thus they executed devotional service.
In Vṛndāvana there are prākṛta-sahajiyās who say that writing books or even touching books is taboo. For them, devotional service means being relieved from these activities. Whenever they are asked to hear a recitation of Vedic literature, they refuse, saying, “What business do we have reading or hearing transcendental literatures? They are meant for neophytes.” They pose themselves to be too elevated to exert energy for reading, writing and hearing. However, pure devotees under the guidance of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī reject this sahajiyā philosophy. It is certainly not good to write literature for money or reputation, but to write books and publish them for the enlightenment of the general populace is real service to the Lord. That was Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s opinion, and he specifically told his disciples to write books. He actually preferred to publish books rather than establish temples. Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees, but the business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and distribute them widely. According to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mṛdaṅga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, one can become a rūpānuga devotee.
Madhya19.133
TEXT 133
caitanyera kṛpā rūpa likhiyāchena āpane
rasāmṛta-sindhu-granthera maṅgalācaraṇe
SYNONYMS
caitanyera—of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kṛpā—the mercy; rūpa—Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; likhiyāchena—has written; āpane—personally; rasāmṛta-sindhu-granthera—of the book known as Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu; maṅgala-ācaraṇe—in the auspicious introduction.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has personally spoken about the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his auspicious introduction to his book Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu [1.1.2].
Madhya19.134
TEXT 134
hṛdi yasya preraṇayā
pravartito ’haṁ varāka-rūpo ’pi
tasya hareḥ pada-kamalaṁ
vande caitanya-devasya
SYNONYMS
hṛdi—within the heart; yasya—of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who gives His pure devotees intelligence with which to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement); preraṇayā—by the inspiration; pravartitaḥ—engaged; aham—I; varāka—insignificant and low; rūpaḥ—Rūpa Gosvāmī; api—although; tasya—of Him; hareḥ—who is Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pada-kamalam—to the lotus feet; vande—let me offer my prayers; caitanya-devasya—of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
“Although I am the lowest of men and have no knowledge, the inspiration to write transcendental literatures about devotional service has been mercifully bestowed upon me. Therefore I am offering my obeisances at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has given me the chance to write these books.”
Madhya19.135
TEXT 135
ei-mata daśa-dina prayāge rahiyā
śrī-rūpe śikṣā dila śakti sañcāriyā
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; daśa-dina—for ten days; prayāge—at Prayāga; rahiyā—staying; śrī-rūpe—to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; śikṣā—instructions; dila—imparted; śakti sañcāriyā—bestowing upon him the necessary potency.
TRANSLATION
For ten days Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed at Prayāga and instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī, empowering him with the necessary potency.
PURPORT
This is a confirmation of the statement kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. Unless one is specifically empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. An empowered devotee sees and feels himself to be the lowest of men, for he knows that whatever he does is due to the inspiration given by the Lord in the heart. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā:
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” (Bg. 10.10)
To be empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one has to qualify himself. This means that one must engage twenty-four hours daily in the loving devotional service of the Lord. The material position of a devotee doesn’t matter because devotional service is not dependent on material considerations. In his earlier life, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was a government officer and a gṛhastha. He was not even a brahmacārī or sannyāsī. He associated with mlecchas and yavanas, but because he was always eager to serve, he was a qualified recipient for the Lord’s mercy. A sincere devotee can therefore be empowered by the Lord regardless of his situation. In the preceding verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described how he was personally empowered by the Lord. He further states in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.187):
īhā yasya harer dāsye
karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
“A person acting in the service of Kṛṣṇa with his body, mind and words is a liberated person even in the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities.”
To keep oneself free from material contamination and attain the Lord’s favor, one must be sincerely anxious to render service to the Lord. This is the only qualification necessary. As soon as one is favored by the mercy of the spiritual master and the Lord, one is immediately given all the power necessary to write books and propagate the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement without being hampered by material considerations.
Madhya19.136
TEXT 136
prabhu kahe,--śuna, rūpa, bhakti-rasera lakṣaṇa
sūtra-rūpe kahi, vistāra nā yāya varṇana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke; śuna—please listen; rūpa—My dear Rūpa; bhakti-rasera—of the transcendental mellows in devotional service; lakṣaṇa—the symptoms; sūtra-rūpe—in the form of a synopsis; kahi—I shall explain; vistāra—the whole breadth; nā—not; yāya—is possible; varṇana—description.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "My dear Rūpa, please listen to Me. It is not possible to describe devotional service completely; therefore I am just trying to give you a synopsis of the symptoms of devotional service.
Madhya19.137
TEXT 137
pārāpāra-śūnya gabhīra bhakti-rasa-sindhu
tomāya cākhāite tāra kahi eka ’bindu’
SYNONYMS
pāra-apāra—the length and breadth; śūnya—without; gabhīra—deep; bhakti-rasa—of the mellows in devotional service; sindhu—the ocean; tomāya—to you; cākhāite—to give a taste; tāra—of this ocean; kahi—I shall speak; eka—one; bindu—drop.
TRANSLATION
"The ocean of the transcendental mellow of devotional service is so big that no one can estimate its length and breadth. However, just to help you taste it, I am describing but one drop.
Madhya19.138
TEXT 138
eita brahmāṇḍa bhari’ ananta jīva-gaṇa
caurāśī-lakṣa yonite karaye bhramaṇa
SYNONYMS
ei-ta—in this way; brahmāṇḍa—the whole universe; bhari’-filling; ananta—unlimited; jīva-gaṇa—living entities; caurāśī-lakṣa—8,400,000; yonite—in species of life; karaye—do; bhramaṇa—wandering.
TRANSLATION
"In this universe there are limitless living entities in 8,400,000 species, and all are wandering within this universe.
PURPORT
This is a challenge to so-called scientists and philosophers who presume that there are living entities on this planet only. So-called scientists are going to the moon, and they say that there is no life there. This does not tally with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s version. He says that everywhere within the universe there are unlimited numbers of living entities in 8,400,000 different forms. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.24) we find that the living entities are sarva-gataḥ, which means that they can go anywhere. This indicates that there are living entities everywhere. They exist on land, in water, in air, in fire and in ether. Thus there are living entities in all types of material elements. Since the entire material universe is composed of five elements-earth, water, fire, air and ether-why should there be living entities on one planet and not others? Such a foolish version can never be accepted by Vedic students. From the Vedic literatures we understand that there are living entities on each and every planet, regardless of whether the planet is composed of earth, water, fire or ether. These living entities may not have the same forms that are found on this planet earth, but they have different forms composed of different elements. Even on this earth we can see that the forms of land animals are different from the forms of aquatics. According to the circumstance, living conditions differ, but undoubtedly there are living entities everywhere. Why should we deny the existence of living entities on this or that planet? Those who have claimed to have gone to the moon have not gone there, or else their imperfect vision cannot actually perceive the particular type of living entities there.
Living entities are described as ananta, or unlimited; nonetheless, they are said to belong to 8,400,000 species. As stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi
sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati
kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ
pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam
triṁśal-lakṣāṇi paśavaḥ
catur-lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ
“There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are also 2,000,000 non-moving living entities (sthāvara) such as trees and plants. There are also 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and there are 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species.” Some of these species may exist on one planet and not on another, but in any case within all the planets of the universe-and even in the sun-there are living entities. This is the verdict of Vedic literatures. As Bhagavad-gītā (2.20) confirms:
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”
Since the living entities are never annihilated, they simply transmigrate from one life form to another. Thus there is an evolution of forms according to the degree of developed consciousness. One experiences different degrees of consciousness in different forms. A dog’s consciousness is different from a man’s. Even within a species we find that a father’s consciousness is different from his son’s and that a child’s consciousness is different from a youth’s. Just as we find different forms, we find different states of consciousness. When we see different states of consciousness, we may take it for granted that the bodies are different. In other words, different types of bodies depend on different states of consciousness. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (8.6): yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam. One’s consciousness at the time of death determines a type of body of the living entity. This is the process of transmigration of the soul. A variety of bodies is already there; we change from one body to another in terms of our consciousness.
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